Phtorite: The corruption, the poison, the corrupter. Phtorite goes by many names, and even its scientific name means "the corruption mineral". A seemingly radioactive mutagenic substance capable of assimilating other forms of matter and self replication, The material is often believed to be somehow sapient given its ability to adapt to attempts to purge it from the cosmos. The material follows a ROYGBIV scale of color, with redder forms of the substance being less dangerous and potent while violet ones are incredibly so. An extraterrestrial substance, Phtorite has plagued the universe for billions of years, and whatever source it ultimately has is unknown with even attempts to explore alternate realities for answers finding little evidence of where it came from. And unusually for a mere substance, the material's energies can affect other dimensions; having deletrious effects on realms such as the spirit world just as it corrupts and poisons the material realm.

The mutations that the material bring on can turn ordinary beings into supersoldiers. However, prolonged uncontrolled exposure can bring about "Phtorite madness", where the subject faces an uncontrollable urge to hoard more of the substance and attack anyone who might be a threat to it, as well as hallucinations, paranoia, and volatile mood swings. Continued uncontrolled exposure will eventually alter the organism's biochemistry into an Phtorite based one. Controlled exposure will generally produce stable and controlled mutations, but the organism will still heal in the presence of Phtorite radiation while most other organisms and shielding will suffer significant damage in its presence. An energy source without compare, Phtorite is tremendously, almost unnaturally useful to civilizations. Something believed to be deliberately evolved in order to "addict" civilizations to its use so that they can aid its spread until it consumes the whole of their society.

This incredible usage as a mutagen and an energy source is further compounded by the material being uniquely suitable as stock for processes such as 3D printing being easily convertible into just about any form of matter imaginable. This all seems to serve to help get civilizations "addicted" to the substance, with their technological development and psionic evolution soon revolving around the substance and ensuring its spread. Eventually, if left unchecked, Phtorite converts a planet into an Phtora; a living planet where all matter and all life is based on Phtorite; ready to continue the lifecycle by firing both nonliving Phtorite meteors; and special wormhole capable organisms known as heralds who will impact a world to further its spread. Heralds will root themselves into a planet and call out to the strongest organism on that planet to infuse them with Phtorite in a special process to turn them into the guardian of the corruption; making them hugely powerful but also committed to the substance's spread and defense.

Phtorite first arrived on Earth by a fragment of an unusual meteor that went about crashing into the Ci Durian river in Indonesia in (insert year here), with smaller fragments landing near Titan city, Brisbane, Calcutta, and across the world's oceans. Seemingly innocuous although notable for its mysterious glow, the material was quickly collected by curious bystanders in spite of the pain it caused to those who approached its radiation. Some kept it in lead boxes, others tried to sell it as a curiosity, and some had the sense to turn it over to the proper authorities. Meanwhile, the material spread its roots into the earth, starting to twist and mutate plant and animal life as well as people. Many even gained superpowers from the material, though only a handful gained them without losing their sanity to Phtorite madness in the process. Others became horrific mutates as they were twisted by the substance, and scientific studies of the substance soon confirmed its great utility, and its great danger.

However, its ability to reliably grant superpowers was noted by much of the criminal underworld who quickly sought to steal shipments of the self replicating substance and use it for their own nefarious purposes. It was soon found that it was possible to use more controlled strains of the substance to grant controlled mutations that could turn men into supermen; with many of the "lab rats" for experimentation being merely embryos before being infused. Others sought to use its energy generation abilities and its usefulness in manufacturing to enhance their technology or quickly churn out all manner of useful items for their causes. Others still came to start seeing it as the path to human ascension, a holy crystal that would bring enlightenment. Some even tried to create drugs using the substance to provide for an otherworldly kick; though there is the obvious issue in trying to run drugs that trip Geiger counters.

For most of the world however, it is a very strictly controlled substance with any attempted spread of it being highly illegal under international law; seen as a threat to the Earth's ecosystem as well as humanity in general. Far too many people remember the kind of monsters that Phtorite can produce to deem its spread as being able to be anything but the bringer of problems. There are outreach programs in place for those metahumans who arose from Phtorite exposure; whether through uncontrolled exposure or whether they were granted power in obscene experiments and managed to find freedom and some superheroes can trace their origins to it. However, there are quite a number of villains who have ties to it as well, some stable, some very much not so.